Guinea pigs are at high risk of developing heat stroke from high temperatures. Young, elderly and unwell and overweight or longer haired breeds are particularly at risk.
Guinea pigs can’t sweat like we do and don’t have an efficient way of cooling themselves down. They maintain their body temperature through blood flow from their ear, but it’s not as efficient as other animals.
Generally, if you’re feeling too hot, chances are your guinea pig friend is too and it’s essential to help care and monitor their health through the summer season and to assist them in regulating their body temperature effectively.
There are a number of ways you can help them beat the heat and planning ahead will help keep your furry friend safe and happy.
In this article we will look at ways in which we can keep their body and environment cool during the summer season.
Your pet may need to drink more in hot weather, so it’s critical to provide a fresh supply of water that’s easily accessible and change it frequently so it’s always refreshing and not gone warm. Keep bottles out of the sunlight. Keep a spare filled water bottle in the fridge and swap this with the one on their cage every few hours.
**Always check the bottle spout is working and not blocked too. It may help to provide various water sources including shallow bowls and bottles.
Give some veg fresh from the fridge. Usual proportions still so not to cause stomach issues or diarrhea.
Frozen bottles, keep a few in the freezer to rotate throughout the day. Place a bottle or two in their cage to lay against when in need of cooling down. Pop in a sock, pillowcase or wrap a towel, flannel or t-shirt around it.
An ice pack can be used the same way.
Also ceramic tile slabs, slates (or similar material) work well placed around their cage as are naturally cool and can be layed upon by your small pet.
Air conditioning or a fan placed in their room will help create some cool air flow in their environment, an ice filled bowl under the fan can make it even cooler! It’s important to ensure the fan is not pointing directly at your guinea pig’s cage to reduce the risk of the draught causing any respiratory issues or colds.
Avoid direct sunlight at all costs as this can cause your guinea pic to overheat and dehydrate. Block out any sunlight from the room they’re in –> blackout curtains or blinds are even better.
Gently mist their fur with cool water, avoiding the face.
Remove plastic houses and tunnels as these can become overly warm in hot weather. Instead, use wooden ones or replace temporarily with a simple cardboard box! Old tissue boxes, potage boxes of various sizes can make a great alternative hidey that’s a whole lot cooler.
Keep long haired guinea pigs well groomed and brush out their fur as they shed their winter coat for the summer. This will prevent any matting and allow air to circulate better to the skin underneath, keeping it cool and healthy.
Remember before you go out to work to check your pet has adequate cooling and ventilation in their room as temperatures can quickly rise in a hot room when the house is locked up.
Leave a window open where possible, or a fan in their room to keep them cool, however, not pointing directly at their cage as they may then get too cold.) Use the other cooling ideas on the list above before leaving the house.
If you house your guinea pigs outside, It may be necessary to bring them inside your house to a cool room until the extreme heat subsides. This allows you to keep a closer eye on them during the hot weather this way too.
If bringing them inside is not an option, please try and move their outdoor enclosure out of direct sunlight and into a shaded area of your garden.
Or provide some shade over their home using a gazebo or parasol etc and adjusting accordingly throughout the day if necessary.
Keep an eye on the direction of the sun as it moves to ensure the guinea pig enclosure is continually in the shade.
You can still use the ideas as mentioned above whilst outside, just monitor your guinea pigs carefully for signs of heatstroke.
Also in hot, humid conditions, keep an eye on any damp bedding around toilet areas and under water bottles (as they often leak), and change more frequently.
Flies are attracted to these areas to breed and compared to indoor guinea pigs, those that live outside are at a high risk of flystrike (when flies lay eggs on or around your guinea pig and in just a few hours they hatch into maggots and feed on your pet.)
Also watch for any stored or uneaten food that may go mouldy in the heat too. Keep everything fresh so you can keep those flies at bay.
Heatstroke (when body temperature rises too high) can be fatal for guinea pigs, so knowing the signs is crucial to acting quickly. Here is a list of the most common symptoms of heatstroke.
If your pet is showing any of these signs please contact your vet immediately:
How many guinea pigs you have. How do you keep your guinea pig family cool? Let me know in the comments!
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